Coupler



F. H. KAYLER July 22, 1952 COUPLER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 16, 1945 "vi INVENTOR.

July 22, 1952 l F. H. KAYLER 2,604,215

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4 Sheets-Sheet 4 NVENTOR. z/ /r- BY www F. H'. KAYLER COUPLER Patented July 22, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE g acca/zit COUPLER Frank H. Kaylger, Alliance, hio,f lassigner to American Steel Foundries, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New Jersey Application-July 16, 1945, Serial No. 605,233

(Cl. 4Z13- 60) 7 Claims.

My invention relates `to a carrier for a railway car coupler and more particularly to a carrier associated with a striking casting for resiliently supporting an associated coupler or 'draw bar.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a combined striking casting and coupler carrier member which member resiliently supports the vcoupler at a desired veleva-tion during normal operation but which permits the coupler to move horizontally and vertically to adjust itself to various track conditions.

Another object of my invention is to provide a combined car coupler striking and carrier 'casting rigidly secured to the car sills and having means associated therewith vfor supporting a car coupler at spaced points of support in such manner that downward thrust of the coupler during vertical angling of the same is transmitted directly to the casting and thence to the sills through the means rigidly securing the casting thereto for pulling stresses.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coupler carrier such as described having provision for readily adjusting the height of the coupler to any desired coupling position.

Another object of the invention vis to provide a coupler carrier comprising a striking portion, a spring carrier, and spaced spring-carriersupports integral therewith and defining an opening for a coupler, the supports housing springs seating a carrier member supporting the coupler and having laterally extending sill tie members carrying means for supporting'the coupler at a point spaced from the carrier member.

Other objects and advantages of the invention relating to the particular varrangement and construction of the various parts will become apparent as the description proceeds.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view, partly in section, showing a tight-lock coupler associated with the center and end sills of a lcar 'and also illustrating the coupler carrier, the section being taken in a horizontal plane indicated by `the line I-I oi. Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a vside elevation of the assembly shown in Figure 1 with one lof the center sills removed and parts of the 'carrier and related members shown in section, said section being taken in the vertical plane `indicated by the line 2--2 of Figure l; v

Figure 3 is a vertical cross 'section of the assembly taken in the plane indicated by vthe 'line 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a front View of the carrier as viewed from the right in Figure 1 with the coupler and parts `of the carrier vshown in cross section in the plane indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of the carrier with the section being taken in the plane indicated by the line 5--5 of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a top View of the carrier with a portion shown in section; and Figure 7 is an end elevation of the carrier; and

Figure 8 is a top view of the coupler support; Figure 9 is a side view thereof ,looking up from the bottom of Figure 8; and Figure 10 is an end view thereof.

Referring to the assembly illustrated in Fig ures l and 2, the numeral 2 designates the center sills of the car in which is mounted a coupler yoke 4 which embraces a cushioning device or mechanism indicated diagonally by dot and dash lines as at 5 bearing against a front follower 6 having a spherical surface 8 in complementary engagement with the butt end I0 of the coupler shank I2, said shank I2 being pivotally mounted in the top and bottom walls I4 and I6 of the yoke 4 by a pivot pin I8 passing through aligned openings in the end portions vof the yoke dened by said walls and the vshank extremity. Disposed between the butt end I0 Vof the shank I2 and the pin I8 is a iiller block 20 having spherical engagement as at 22 with said butt end I!! and having a concave surface in complementary engagement as at 24 with the pin I8. The coupler shank l2 is formed with a wall 25 at one side of the opening therein, having vertically diagonal surfaces 2S Aand 2S converging toward and adapted vto engage the pin I8 during vertical angling of the coupler shank I2. It may be noted that in the arrangement described, horizontal angling ofthe shank I2 and head 30 of the coupler is accommodated by the pin IB and the spherical engagement of the butt end il) of the shank I2 with the filler block 2i! and follower block 6 while vertical angling of the coupler shank I2 and Ahead 30 is accompanied by the aforesaid spherical engagement and the engagement of the wall 25 of the shank I2 with the pin I. In service, buiiing blows will cause the coupler shank I2 and yoke 4 to move inwardly and the front follower 6 to compress the draft gear 5, the front follower B and coupler being limited in its outward movement as hereinafter described.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 3, a top wall 32 joins the vertical walls 34 and 36 of the center sills 2, respectively, and is connected to the end sill 3l fas' at 38, each of the walls 34 and 36 belng formed with a laterally extending iiange 39 interconnected by a transverse plate 40 extending therebetween and secured thereto for supporting the coupler yoke 4.

My novel combined striker and coupler carrier, generally designated 42 and shown in detail in Figures 4-10, inclusive, is supported from the center [sills 2 and end sill 31 and comprises a framing member or4 integral casting preferably formed with a hollow top coupler-striking or stop portion 44, depending carrier supports 46, 46, and the carrier spring support 48.

is provided with an -upstanding flange 50 extending lengthwise thereof and riveted as at 52 to the end sill 31, said flange 50 being reinforced by the end webs 54 emerging therewith Aand the top wall 56 of the portion 44, the intermediate.

web 51 also merging with said flange 50, the top wall 56, the striker wall 58, and the spaced horizontal wall 60, defining the hollow portion 44, and extending rearwardly to merge with the transverse wall 62 riveted as at 38 to the end sill 31.

Extending downwardly at opposite sides of the striking portion 44 are the carrier supports 46, 46 comprising vertical walls 64, 64 merging at their lower ends with the bottom wall 66 and the transverse front and rear walls 68, 68 and defining therewith the carrier spring support 48 having a pocket receiving coil springs 12 supporting the carrier iron generally designated 14, it being noted that the rear wall 68 is higher than the front wal1'68 for a purpose hereinafter described.

Referring now to Figures 8, 9 and 10, the carrier iron 14 is of rectangular cuplike form for reception in the complementary shaped pocket 10 of the spring support 48 and comprises the top wall 16 having a surface 18 which may be made of wear-resistant metal to support the coupler shank, said wall 16 having a plurality of depending bosses received within the adjacent ends of the springs 12, the opposite ends of the springs 12 being positioned by the bosses 8| on the wall 66 of the carrier spring support 48. Depending from the wall 16 adjacent the edge thereof are spaced side walls 82, 82 and end walls 84, 84 defining a pocket for the reception of the springs 12, as best seen in Figure 4. Each end wall 84, 84 is formed wtih an outwardly turned flange 86 spaced from the top wall 16 and defining therewith a recess receiving a stop member or retainer plate or lug 88 riveted as at 90 to an adjacent fiange 92 integral with the side walls 64, 64 of the carrier supports 46, 46 and extending through a slot in the walls 64, 64, as best seen in Figure 4, said lugs 88 having engagement with said top wall 16 and said flanges 86, 86 to limit vertical movement of the carrier iron 14. This arrangement also permits the carrier iron 14 to maintain the coupler at its correct height for coupling purposes inasmuch as the thickness of the plate 88 may be varied by the use of shims, or plates of other thicknesses may be substituted for the plates 88 and it being understood that the strength of the springs 12 is sufficient to cause the stop flanges 86, 86 of the carrier iron to be urged into engagement with the plates 88 when the coupler is supported in its normal horizontal coupling position by the carrier iron. It will thus be apparent that by varying the thicknesses of the plates 88, an easy method of adjustment of the coupler to its correct height is afforded.

As will be noted from a consideration of Figure 4, thecarrier 42 comprises the above-de- The striking portion 44 is rectangular in form and scribed striking portion 44, the carrier iron 14, and the carrier spring supports 46 defining a rectangular opening, preferably proportioned as shown in said figure and in Figure 2 so that only a limited amount of vertical angling of the coupler shank is afforded without contacting either the carrierl iron 14 or the striking portion 44, and the space between the coupler shank and the spring supports 46, while relatively small, is amply sufficient for permitting considerable lateral movement of the coupler shank between the two supports due to the closely adjacent pivotal connection ofthe butt end of the shank with the yoke 4`. Also, the construction of the walls'of the carrier spring support 48, as hereinbefore described, is such that when the coupler is incompressed position, forming an angle with the car center line, the bearing between the top wall 18 of the carrier iron 14 and the carrier spring support will be both at the front and rear walls 68, 68 thereof which serves to eliminate concentrated stresses being had on one wall.

As seen in Figures 5, 6 and '1, the wall 64 of each spring support 46 extends rearwardly thereof and merges with the top wall 62 and the spaced portions 9| thereof, each of said walls 64 having an inwardly turned flange 93 at the outer extremity as well as gussets 94 merging with said flanges 93 for reinforcing said walls. Each side wall 64 of the spring-carrier supports 46 has a plurality of openings 86 therein adapted to receive rivets securing the walls to the adjacent vertical side wall 34'or 36 of the center sills 2 as at 98, as clearly seen in Figures 1 and 2. It may be noted that the flanges 93 abut the follower 6 to limit outward movement of the follower and thereby the coupler by the cushioning mechanism 5, and also to` directly receive pulling stresses by the coupler.

Referring now to Figures 2, 3 and 5, it may be seen that each side wall 64 is formed at the bottom thereof with an inwardly turned flange |04 beneath the flanges 39 of the center sills 2 and that the side walls are provided above the flanges |04 with aligned slots I 06 receiving a cross bar or plate |08 supported on said flanges and supporting the end portionsV of the yoke and the shank at their pivotal connection with each other, said cross bar |08 being prevented from movement in said slots transversely of said coupler by having one encl engageable with an upwardly extending portionof one of the flanges |04 as at |I0 and having the other end engageable with a stop member |I3 riveted as at IIS to the adjacent fiange 39 of the sill 2. This `construction permits taking the down thrust from a vertical angling position of the coupler through the yoke support plate I 08 directly to a part of the carrier casting and carrying this force to the sills through the same rivets which are used to anchor the casting for pulling stresses. This construction also eliminates the necessity of using heavy bolts or rivets, which would otherwise be required to hold the plate |08 if it were attached in the customary manner to the flanges 39 of the side sills 2, as well as the necessity for providing large rivet or bolt holesvthrough the flanges 39 of the sills.

Referring now to Figures 1, 2, 5 and 6, it may be noted that the top and bottom walls I4 and IG of the head of the yoke 4, positioned between the walls 64, 64 of the carrier 42, are formed adjacent the ends thereof with opposite facing sides ||2, I I2 substantially parallel and at the ends thereof said sides are connected by the spaced walls I I4, |I4 diverging as at ||6, ||6 toward the walls 64,

64 of the carrier supports 46, 46. To position the yoke within the carrier support 42, the side walls 64, 64 of the carrier have projecting inwardly therefrom and merging with the spaced portions 9| of the top wall 62 the gussets I I3, I I9 provided with parallel surfaces |29, |29, and the lower gussets 94, 94 of the walls 64, 64 are formed with parallel surfaces |24, |24 and diverging surfaces |26, |26 whereby upon entering the yoke through. the bottom of the carrier 42 the sides I I2, H2 of the yoke head will be guidingly engaged by the surfaces |24, |24 of the gussets 94, 94 and the walls H4, ||4 of the yoke head will be guidingly engaged by the surfaces |26, |26 of the gussets 96, 94. Upon movement of the yoke upwardly and into assembled position with the carrier 42, the aforesaid sides H2, IIZ of the yoke head will be guidingly engaged with the surfaces |29, |26 of the gussets H8, I I3 of the carrier. It will be apparent that the yoke may thus be positioned with facility within the carrier 42 while the guide surfaces thereof will afford large bearing areas to reduce wear in service. The yoke may be positioned with either side up since it is symmetrical about its center line and for the same reason it may be reversed when desired to equalize surface wear on the top and bottom thereof, said yoke having flat bearing surfaces on the top and bottom thereof as may readily be observed in Figure 3.

It may be noted also that the formation of the framing member or carrier casting comprises the striking portion 44, the carrier supports 46, 46, and the carrier spring support 48, insures ample width at the center of the carrier casting for shank bearing and a reduction of the width at the ends to permit the application of a stand.- ard horizontal key yoke for repair.

It is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited by the exact embodiment of the device shown which is merely by way of illustration and not limitation as various and other forms of the device will, of course, be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A coupler support, according to claim 6, wherein the rear surface slopes downwardly and forwardly.

2. In a coupler support, a structure comprising spaced side supports and a support member connecting the lower ends of said supports, said support member comprising spaced end walls and front and rear walls and a bottom wall defining a pocket, said rear wall extending higher than said front wall, resilient means in said pocket, a vertically movable carrier member extending within said pocket comprising a top wall seated on said resilient means and spaced lateral walls adjacent the front and rear Walls of said pocket and spaced therefrom and receiving therebetween said resilient means, and a coupler comprising a yoke and a shank pivotally connected thereto permitting Vertical angling of said shank in a downward direction whereby said front and rear walls of said support member and the top wall of said carrier member will be brought into bearing engagement and resultant stresses distributed on both of the lateral walls of the support member.

3. In a coupler support, a member having spaced forward and rear walls, and having a spring seat therebetween, and a carrier resiliently supported by said seat and having downwardly facing surfaces above respective walls, the upper end of the forward wall terminating below the level of the upper end of the rear wall to accommodate engagement of said surfaces with respective walls upon downward and forward angling of said carrier.

4. In a coupler support, a striker having rear and forward upstanding walls, the forward wall being shorter than the rear Wall, and a carrier resiliently supported above said walls and engageable therewith during downward angling of an associated coupler shank supported by said carrier.

5. In a coupler support, a structure comprising a support member at the bottom thereof presenting spaced front and rear abutment surfaces, a carrier resiliently supported from said member, and a coupler capable of angling vertically about an axis spaced rearwardly of said surfaces seated on said carrier, said rear surface being disposed at a higher level than said front surface whereby during downward angling of said coupler said carrier is caused to engage both of said surfaces and distribute the forces angling said coupler downwardly thereaginst.

6. In a coupler support, a substantially rectangular frame including a bottom portion having a pocket with spaced front and rear walls, said walls presenting abutment surfaces at their upper extremities, the surface on the rear wall being positioned at a slightly higher level than the surface on the front wall.

7. In a coupler support, a support member, a carrier iron resiliently supported therefrom, and front and rear abutment surfaces on said support member adjacent to the rear and front of said carrier iron for abutment with the underside thereof, said front surface being disposed slightly lower than said rear surface, whereby both of said surfaces are engaged by said carrier iron when said carrier iron is angled through angling of an associated coupler.

FRANK H. KAYLER.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,125,665 Cromwell Jan. 19, 1915 1,257,424 Tinker et al Feb. 26, 1918 1,426,221 Sandman Aug. 15, 1922 1,431,717 Barrows Oct. 10, 1922 1,612,540 Simmons Dec. 28, 1926 1,874,771 Lounsbury Aug. 30, 1932 1,878,032 Van Dorn Sept. 20, 1932 1,991,650 Barrows Feb. 19, 1935 1,993,712 Barrows Mar. 5, 1935 2,019,311 Kinne Oct. 29, 1935 2,043,090 Barrows June 2, 1936 2,055,473 Barrows Sept. 29, 1936 2,061,319 Gilpin Nov. 17, 1936 2,257,306 Olander Sept. 30, 1941 2,260,076 Johnson et al. Oct. 21, 1941 2,281,662 Bazeley May 5, 1942 2,401,822 Gilpin June 11, 1946 2,401,823 Gilpin June 11, 1946 2,404,235 Gilpin July 16, 1946 

